The Soft Sound of Thunder
by Weeblswobl
Summary: Sequel to "Guarding Jupiter".  There's a reason Harvey keeps his emotions in check.  When he doesn't, it's up to Mike to pick up the pieces.
1. Strategy

Author's note: This takes place after the events of "Guarding Jupiter". The story is still telling itself in my head, so I'm not sure how long this is going to end up being, but I'll post chapters as soon as they are finished. Basically, I wanted to write a fic that explored the idea of Harvey becoming _too_ protective of Mike, how he would get to that point and how it would play itself out. Oh and I also found a way to work in a resolution to the Trevor situation (go me!).

Thanks each and every one of you for your kind words on my previously posted fics (especially Ache and the Bliss, which I wasn't even sure was good enough to post). You guys are AMAZING!

CHAPTER ONE: "Strategy"

For a Thursday night, Mike thought, the pub was unusually crowded. It was the usual after-work crowd, still in their three-piece suits or work heels, taking the edge off of another tough day. He slid sideways through the mass of people standing in front of the bar and made his way to one of the booths at the end of the room .

"Hey," he said to his companion. "You don't have a drink. Do you want one?"

"Have a seat, the waitress has come by once already. I'm sure she'll be by again."

"So," said Mike suspiciously. "To what do I owe the honor of your company?"

The redhead said nothing but gave him an expectant glare.

"It's getting out of hand, isn't it?" said Mike.

"You need to talk to him," she said, not unsympathetically.

"Why me?" said Mike, more out of reflex than genuine puzzlement.

"As if I even have to answer that," said Donna.

"Worth a shot," said Mike, grinning slightly. "No getting out of this, is there?" he said hopefully.

"Nope."

"He's going to be pissed. Take it personally. I don't really know how, yet, but he will."

"You bet your ass he will, Sparky."

"So…" said Mike hesitantly. "Remind me why I'm doing this again?"

"Do I even have to dignify that with an answer?"she said, losing patience.

"No," said Mike, suddenly introspective. "No, you don't."

The waitress came to take their drink orders, and as she headed to the next table, he looked at Donna and said with concern, "You know him better than anyone on the planet. Why is he acting this way?"

Donna sighed, picked up a paper napkin, and began twisting it between her hands. "I can't tell you all of it, and Harvey will kill me for telling you this much, but you need to know." She stared at the wrapped paper in her hands for a moment.

"What, Donna? You're freaking me out, here."

"You know that Cameron Dennis stepped down as DA."

"Yeah," said Mike, "some kind of deal he made with the DOJ."

"The _new_ deal he made with the DOJ. Cameron's original deal with the DOJ would have left Harvey twisting in the wind."

"Shit," said Mike, exhaling and leaning his head back against the booth. "Does Harvey know? Oh God, he does know, doesn't he?" Mike was hoping she would correct him, but she simply gazed at him sadly.

"Wait, you said something about a _new_ deal. How did _that_ happen?"

Mike knew that Donna could put in an Oscar-worthy performance when called upon, but at that moment she didn't bother to hide the guilty look on her face. It spoke volumes.

"You did something, didn't you? Something to protect him, but that also pissed him off. That's why he was so angry with you a couple of weeks ago. But Jessica would have never stood for it unless-"

"Smart boy," she said. "You're getting the picture."

"You and Jessica."

"I never said anything." Donna put her hands up in mock surrender. "But would you keep it down over there, all that clicking into place is kind of deafening."

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put the pieces together," said Mike. "He thinks you and Jessica betrayed him, doesn't he? I know how loyal he was to Cameron."

"He's 'forgiven' us, but yes."

"Cameron, Jessica, you… and now me," said Mike, consoling himself with an extra-long swig of Sam Adams. "But that doesn't make any sense. He's been nearly pathological with regard to looking out for me lately. Why would he do that?"

"You don't get it, Mike. In the last three weeks, you're the only person that is close to him who _hasn't_ let him down. That means everything to him."

"He was pissed I didn't tell him about the diploma," said Mike, his mind whirling.

Donna looked at him with fondness and grabbed his hand across the table. "He told me about that. He also told me you were hell-bent on throwing yourself under the bus to save his ass. That… means a lot. To him and to me."

"I didn't have to," said Mike. "Lola's records held up well."

"That's not the point," said Donna.

Mike took another swig of his beer and said, "Okay, I'm officially getting off the merry-go-round." He was starting to get irritated that every time they seemed to get near a point, it crawled away and hid under another rock. "What exactly are you saying?"

Donna sighed and shook her head. "This is _me_ you're talking to, alright? I see everything that goes on in that office."

"Don't I know it" Mike said under his breath.

"Don't be a smartass," said Donna. "That same loyalty that means so much to him also makes you incredibly vulnerable, to Trevor, Louis, Kyle, everyone. He feels like he has to protect you from that."

"That really does explain why the first-years flee like a crowd in a Godzilla movie every time he walks in the room these days."

"And if there were one particular person in the crowd that they knew would never be stomped to bits because he was Godzilla's favorite, I can imagine how well that would go over." She gave Mike a meaningful glance.

"It's going about as well as you'd expect," said Mike. Harvey was swooping in to rescue him more often these days, but he never saw the wide swath of resentment that he left in his wake.

"It's not just the associates. Even Jessica is noticing. And Louis," she said with a slight smile. "Louis wants Harvey's head on a platter."

"Over _me_? Oh God…"

"Relax kiddo," said Donna. "It's not about you, it's about Harvey. Jessica was going to talk to you herself, but she and I both felt it would be better coming from me."

_God_, Mike thought. He couldn't imagine having this same conversation with Jessica. Donna was literally the only person he could talk to about this. She knew Harvey better than anyone, and he and Harvey had never had to keep their secret around her. Instead of giving voice to these thoughts, which she seemed to be reading on his face anyway, he merely said, "Have I told you this week that you are amazing?"

"I think you're under your quota, actually," she said, batting her eyelashes exaggeratedly. "Look," she said, turning serious. "I know we're all concerned about Harvey, but I also know the last couple of weeks have been hard on you."

He didn't bother to deny it, knowing Donna's ear was surgically attached to the office grapevine. Half the associates weren't speaking to him out of fear, and the other half were secretly plotting ways to make his life even more miserable the minute Harvey dropped this insane crusade he'd been on lately. He was also going to rip in half the way Louis and Harvey were fighting over him these days.

"Goes with the territory, I guess," he said nonchalantly.

"No, it doesn't," she said sympathetically. "I lay most of the blame for this on Harvey. So does Jessica, by the way. But that's not the point. The point is to fix it before it gets out of hand."

"No pressure, huh?" said Mike, raising his beer bottle.

She matched his with her own in an impromptu toast. "No pressure at all."


	2. Catch

CHAPTER TWO: "Catch"

It had started, of all things, with a figurine. One of those rosy-cheeked porcelain clowns that were part of a "collection", thus making them cost ten times more than they should. Mike's grandmother had started collecting them back when his parents were still alive. There was one particularly sentimental piece in her collection that had been given to her by Mike's mother. This particular clown was sitting on a piece of bridge that Mike's mother had sworn looked exactly like the bridge in the park where she and his father had gone on their first date. The rest of the set had come and gone over the years, but Grammy had never let go of that particular piece.

About a month earlier, a careless aide at the nursing home had been trying tidy up and knocked it off of one of the higher wall shelves. Mike wasn't sure who was more shattered, Grammy or the figurine. He had been looking for its replacement ever since, and had finally found one on eBay, by a seller who happened to also be living in New York. They had been trying to coordinate schedules for the better part of a week. Mike didn't want to risk the piece breaking in the mail, and the guy was moving to Scranton at the end of the month, so he finally gave in and asked Harvey for part of the morning off to go pick it up.

"How many allnighters have you pulled this week?" asked Harvey, without taking his nose out of the file he was reading.

"Look, I won't be gone long. I'll add the time to the end of the day."

"You didn't answer my question," said Harvey, still staring at the sheet in front of him.

"Four," said Mike with a sigh. It looked like he was about to make it five, from the way Harvey was acting.

"And where is it that you're supposed to be meeting this guy?"

"It's not far, actually," said Mike. "About a twenty, twenty-five minute bike ride. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour."

"You're _biking_ to go pick this thing up?" said Harvey, now looking at him and shaking his head. "Well, yeah," said Mike innocently. "By the time I changed lines it would take at least twice that long on the subway."

"Your grandmother better appreciate this," said Harvey by way of permission.

"Yes!" said Mike, savoring the minor victory.

"Get out of here," said Harvey fondly. "Oh and Mike," he called after the younger man as he was about to step out of the office.

"Yeah?"

"Forget the bike. I'm going to have Ray drive you over."

"What?" Mike stared at Harvey in disbelief. Harvey never volunteered Ray's services if he wasn't already using them himself.

"I can't have you crashing into anything before our meeting with the Prescott's," said Harvey matter-of-factly. "Besides, you don't know who this guy is."

"How much trouble can I get into at Starbucks?" said Mike. "Okay, okay," he said to Harvey's exasperated look. "Ray it is."

It had actually taken far less time than Mike had expected, and he arrived back at the office about forty five minutes later. He dropped both his messenger bag and the new purchase at his cubicle and hastened back to Harvey's office with the research he had been working on before he left.

"Where's my frappucino?" said Donna plaintively as he passed by her desk.

He smiled at her over his shoulder and said "They don't taste as good if they're not a surprise."

And with that he escaped into Harvey's office.

"Did you get it?" said Harvey, taking the papers from Mike.

"Yup. It's pristine, just like he said. She's going to love it." Mike went over to the sofa with the other half of the files he had carried over and sat down. "Hey, ah, thanks for having Ray drive me over there-"

"I didn't do it for you, I did it so you'd get back to these files sometime before the next century. I need you to find me anything in the emails between Rockland and Carmichael that suggest they knew about the prototype _before_ Sy Prescott filed for the patent."

"Wait, these are ALL copies of emails they exchanged with each other in that six month period?" Mike looked dubiously at the pile in front of him.

"Yup, oh and I have some here," Harvey walked over and doubled Mike's pile.

"Gee, thanks."

"You're the genius. Have at it, kid." He said, gesturing to the files on the table.

"Wait a sec-" said Mike, getting an idea.

"What?"

"I don't know about Carmichael himself but Carmichael's son definitely knew there would be a product launch, well before it happened."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Facebook."

Harvey looked at him, dumbfounded, and then started laughing. "Seriously? The kid is going to cost his dad's company half a billion in punitive damages because he posted to Facebook?"

"Yeah. There were also emails between Carmichael and his son, where did I put them? I printed out the Facebook posts and the emails but they're not here."

"I don't know how you can find anything in that haystack," said Harvey.

"I told you-"

"I know, it's an _organized_ mess. Which is why you can't find a damn thing."

Mike sighed and said "Be right back."

He hadn't yet turned the corner to the associate's cubicles when he heard Kyle and Greg laughing. "This takes the cake, dude, seriously. What's next, My Little Pony?" Mike got a sinking feeling in his chest when he realized the voice was far too near to be coming from anywhere but his desk.

Sure enough, he turned the corner to find Greg and Kyle holding the unwrapped figurine and tossing it back and forth between them like a football.

"Put it down, now," said Mike, flatly.

"Oh come on, Ross, this one was too good to pass up. We actually didn't know you were into this kind of thing."

"Greg, damn it, I am not kidding. Put it down."

"Or what?" said Kyle. "I can't imagine you'd go running to daddy about this. It's too fucking embarrassing." The associate's snicker suddenly died in his throat and Mike was puzzled until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I just came down here to tell you I found the documents you were looking for. I didn't realize I was about to interrupt recess," Harvey said, glaring at the two associates.

"Mr. Specter-" said Kyle, putting the figurine back on Mike's desk. "We were just kidding around."

"Mr. Tate and Mr. Devon," said Harvey. "Are you aware of the number of Pearson Hardman employee handbook violations you have just committed, not to mention the number of OSHA regulations pertaining to a hostile work environment?"

"We were out of line, sir," said Gregory. "We apologize."

"Neither one of you has answered my question," said Harvey.

"Well, sir, we'll be sure to review the handbook again-"

"You'll review it by the end of the day," said Harvey menacingly.

"Excuse me?" said Kyle, the color draining from his face.

"You will apologize to Mr. Ross, and I want summaries of both the Pearson Hardman codes and the OSHA regulations pertaining to your actions this morning on my desk before you leave today."

"But sir, Louis has us assigned to the Barker trial that starts tomorrow-"

"Then you'd better work fast," said Harvey. "And if I find out that any of you are accessing Mr. Ross's personal property or computer files without his express permission, you will find yourself looking for another job. Have I made myself clear?"

Mike expected both associates to dissolve into puddles at any moment. He found himself grateful for the intervention, but he knew that in the long run, it would come at a high cost.

"Come on, Mike," said Harvey, steering him back down the hall. "Back to work."

* o * o * o * o *

Ah the nature of multi-chapter fics… I do know where this is going, guys. Hang in there! :-)

And again, thank you all for the kind words and encouragement! Feedback feeds the muse. :-)


	3. Tripped

CHAPTER THREE: "Tripped"

It probably would never had escalated from there, Mike thought, had it not been for Trevor. He had gone to ground the previous week, following his visit to Jessica Pearson's office. Two nights after the incident with Kyle and Gregory, however, Mike's phone buzzed at three in the morning.

"Harvey, the building better be burning down," he said groggily.

"Get up, Mike," said Harvey sharply. "Vanessa just called. Trevor's on his way over to your apartment."

"What?-" he said, rubbing his eyes and trying to process.

"Just get up. I'll be there shortly." Harvey hung up, as if he knew Mike was about to tell him not to come over.

It didn't surprise Mike that Trevor had kept a key to his apartment. He waited in the dark, listening to the key turn softly in the lock. Soft shadows grew in the room as the light from the hallway spilled in. It also didn't surprise him that Trevor was carrying a baseball bat, intent on an encore performance of his role in the Clifford Danner case. He had never been an original thinker, Mike mused, at the same time trying to bury the sudden realization that their friendship really had reached its end.

Mike was leaning against a wall near a light switch, but didn't illuminate the room until Trevor was standing in the middle of it.

"Really?" he said bitterly. "Trying to destroy my career wasn't enough for you?"

A flicker of guilt lit up Trevor's face, to be immediately replaced by an angry scowl. "You're one to talk, asshole. If I'd have known that you were shipping me off to Montana just to move in on my girlfriend, I'd have never left."

"It wasn't like that," said Mike evenly.

Trevor laughed bitterly. "The hell it wasn't. Should have known you'd turn her against me. You've been wanting to fuck her since the day you met her."

Mike ignored the barb and studied Trevor for a moment, his heart sinking. "You're high, aren't you?"

He jumped back when Trevor launched the baseball bat he was holding into a mirror, shattering both it and what was left of their friendship in a single swing. "Answer me, goddamn it!"

"What do you want me to say, Trevor?" said Mike, his voice curiously even considering the precarious situation. "That you're a screw-up? That Jenny deserves better? Because if you're looking for truth, let's start there."

"You _son of a bitch_," said Trevor, grabbing the handle of the bat and taking a step towards Mike. "Someone needs to knock you off that pedestal of yours."

"One more step," said Harvey, stone-faced from the doorway, "and you're going to get knocked into a prison cell for the next ten years."

Harvey's face softened for a moment as he met Mike's eyes. Mike warmed with the concern he found there, mixed with a knowing sadness of what this moment was costing him.

"I haven't done a thing, " said Trevor, now turning to face Harvey with his hands up in mock protest. "I just came by to return this to Mike."

"At three am."

"Good a time as any," said Trevor nonchalantly. A thought occurred to him and he added, "And what the hell are you doing here, anyway, _law man_?" He grinned lasciviously at Mike and added "_Mikey_, just what is it that you _do_ for this boss of yours?"

Anger flashed in Mike's eyes, but before he could act on it, Harvey reined him in with a simple "Mike, don't."

"_Ooh_, he's got you well-trained, doesn't he?" said Trevor, clearly pleased he had found a soft spot.

Harvey walked over to the coffee table, which had suddenly become neutral ground between the two, and placed a stack of 8x10 photographs on top of the pile of magazines that littered its surface.

"Might want to take a look at those," he said amiably. Mike knew Harvey well enough to know that the friendlier Harvey was in these situations, the deeper the hole he had dug to bury his adversary. This was going to be _bad_.

Mike couldn't see the photos from where he was standing, but Trevor's face went white for a moment. Whatever was on the photos had left him shaking with a simmering rage that the content of the photos ensured he couldn't adequately express.

"Later today, a whole stack of these will be turned over to the DA's office," said Harvey. "You'll like the new DA. He's a charmer. He's going to jump at the chance to put these guys out of business."

Mike blanched, and he tried to stave off the guilt that suddenly washed over him in waves. He had given Harvey Carte Blanche to get Trevor out of his life, but he never intended for his best friend to do time.

As Trevor flipped through the photos in his hands, Harvey caught Mike's eye and shot him an encouraging look that seemed to say _Hang in there, we're not finished yet._

"I have arranged to courier one of two sets of photos to reach the DA's office tomorrow. One of these packages contains a complete set of photos, including the ones you're holding right now. The other will shut down your supplier and his buddies but keep you out of it. Which one is delivered is up to you. Now if it was up to me, I'd put these up on billboards all over town, but in deference to Mike here, I'm giving you a choice."

"What do you want?" said Trevor, wariness blending with his seething anger.

"You're going to be on a plane back to your brother's farm in Montana within the next twelve hours, and you're not coming back to New York. My administrative assistant will arrange an apartment for you in whatever city you eventually decide to relocate in, covered for six months, plus six months of living expenses. " Harvey gazed at Trevor meaningfully and said "Make no mistake. This _is_ in every way a severance package."

"And if I don't?" said Trevor.

Harvey shook his head in exasperation. "Do you really think you have a choice here?"

Mike's eyes widened incredulously as Trevor's gaze turned to him with a pleading look.

_You have got to be kidding me_, thought Mike. _He still wants me to save his ass, after everything that's happened._

"You should take the deal, Trevor." Mike said numbly. "Harvey's not usually this generous."

"Fuck you," said Trevor, the despair evident in his voice as he finally realized that Mike was going to step aside this time.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mike had seen Harvey pull out his phone moment earlier and send off a quick text message. He was puzzled until he saw a burly figure suddenly standing in the doorway.

"Trevor, this is Rick, Pearson Hardman's head of security." _That's_ _Richard Jaffe? _ Thought Mike, reeling. He had heard of the man at Pearson Hardman's employee orientation but had never actually seen him. He was a bit of a mythical figure at Pearson Hardman, since so little was known about his background other than the fact he was an ex-navy seal who had done several tours in Afghanistan. He handled security for Pearson Hardman's highest profile clients, and oversaw the day-to-day operations at the firm.

"Rick is going to escort you to your apartment, make arrangements for anything you want to pack up, and make sure you get to Montana _safely_," said Harvey. His glare made it clear that it wasn't Trevor's safety he was worried about.

"I don't need a fucking babysitter," said Trevor acidly.

"If you think I'm sending you to Montana on the company jet by yourself, I think you should go smoke some more weed," said Harvey smugly.

"What?" said Mike and Trevor in unison.

"You heard me," said Harvey. "You should be grateful. Four hour direct flight to Butte. _No layovers._" he said. He glared at Trevor, making it abundantly clear that the whole purpose of the corporate jet was to keep Trevor from making a run for it before he got to Montana.

Harvey nodded to Rick and said, "You should get going."

"And Trevor," he added dismissively. "Best behavior. I find out you've set one foot in New York state, I _will_ bury you."

"Nice friends you have," said Trevor acidly, as he glared at Mike.

"They are," said Mike, sighing. "Goodbye, Trevor. Take care of yourself."

As Rick stepped back out of the doorway to let him through, Trevor paused and turned around, saying lewdly, "Oh I almost forgot. Give _all_ my love to Jenny."

"Get him out of here, Rick," said Harvey, "before I kick his ass back to Montana myself."

Rick merely gave him an amused smile and turned his attention back to his charge before Harvey shut the door.

It took Mike a moment to process that it was just the two of them in the apartment, and he could let his guard down. He sat on the sofa with a deep sigh.

"You okay?" said Harvey, frowning at him in concern.

"No, not really," said Mike. Harvey pushed the coffee table aside and sat down on the edge of it, facing Mike.

"That's not exactly how I thought this would go once it played out," continued Mike.

"I know," said Harvey, sympathetically.

"What, no 'I told you so's?" said Mike. "You must be thinking that. After everything that's happened."

"I know he was your friend, Mike. That you guys have a long history together. I didn't want things to happen the way they did either."

Harvey glanced at the shattered pieces of mirror on the floor and shuddered. "Vanessa didn't tell me Trevor was headed over here with a baseball bat." He glanced at Mike when Mike didn't reply and read the response on his face.

"You knew, though, didn't you?"

"Trevor isn't good at thinking for himself. That's why we've stayed friends as long as we have. I gave him a good idea, and he went with it." Mike said bitterly. "Just not the way I expected."

"You gave him a good idea to save _my_ case," said Harvey softly, staring off into space.

Mike sat for a moment, stunned by the look of guilt that suddenly flashed on Harvey's face.

"Harvey," Mike said with urgent softness, "You don't think any of this is your fault, do you? Because it's not."

Harvey flashed him a split second look of despair that was immediately covered by indignation. Mike was about to press him when Harvey's phone rang.

"It's four in the morning, what are you doing up at this hour?" he said affectionately. At the tone in Harvey's voice, Mike didn't have to wonder who was calling, or why.

"I wasn't going to wake you up with this, everything's fine," said Harvey exasperatedly. "Yes, he's fine too. Now go back to bed or you're going to be useless by this afternoon." Harvey hung up the phone and muttered "Damn woman has ears everywhere."

Mike smiled and said, "And you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

"Hell no," said Harvey, suddenly pensive.

"Harvey, about Trevor-" Mike had intended to finish their previous conversation, but it was clear that Harvey considered the matter closed.

"I'll get a report from Rick once they reach Butte," he said, standing up. "Why don't you sleep in tomorrow. I'll meet you in the office at one."

"Are you sure you don't want to-"

"Goodnight, Mike," said Harvey, kindly but firmly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* o * o * o * o *

I always had this image in mind that Harvey would occasionally require the services of one of Pearson Hardman's security people. That concept has made it into a couple of my fics but had been erased, but it seemed to fit well here. And sayonara, Trevor! Let the Mike and Harvey angst commence! :-)

The next bit might be awhile… RL beckons. sigh


	4. Negotiation

**Our story so far:** Jessica, Donna and Mike have decided that Harvey needs an intervention, as he's getting a bit out of control in the office. Harvey has defended Mike against the associates batting around a gift for his grandmother, and also sent Trevor packing to Montana. Ch 4 takes place later that same morning.

CHAPTER FOUR: Negotiations

The associate's bull pen was strangely quiet when Mike arrived in the office midmorning. Harvey wasn't expecting him until after lunch, but he had become used to getting by on only three to four hours of sleep a night, and had found himself wide awake by half-past eight. He had been prepared to fend off both Kyle's snide remarks and Louis' not-so-veiled threats in response to his late arrival, but both men were pleasantly missing in action.

He dropped his bag off at his desk and then wandered up to the tenth floor with a stack of precedents that Harvey had asked him to search for the previous day.

"Aaaand he's not here," he said to Donna, as he took in the empty office.

"Nope," she said, still glancing at her computer.

"Did I actually-" He meant to say "beat him in", but Donna took that moment to look up at him with a smirk on her face.

"Then, um, where is he?" Mike tried to ignore the worry that had begun to worm its way to the surface. Any other day he would have just been inquisitive, but after the run-in with Trevor, he suddenly needed to know.

Donna read him like a book and her face softened in response to his concern. "He's over at Gorman and McKenzie. He got a phone call first thing this morning from Peter Myers. Looks like Carmichael is going to settle."

"Really? Just like that?" Carmichael's attorney struck Mike as a high-priced ambulance-chaser on steroids. Mike dearly wanted to know it had taken to get him to cave so suddenly.

"Apparently, it's hard to defend your company against accusations of patent infringement when the chip off the old block is posting to Facebook about it."

"No," said Mike, incredulous. "They're settling because of _that_? Really?"

"Looks like," she said. "The stupidity of some people knows no bounds." She looked at Mike shrewdly and said, "Speaking of…"

"Any word?" said Mike warily.

"They're scheduled to touch down around twelve thirty, our time. Rick will give Harvey an update as soon as Trevor's settled." Donna paused a moment and added, "And how are you doing?"

"The better question," said Harvey, who had appeared out of nowhere to put a hand on Mike's shoulder, "is _what_ is he doing? Or more accurately, what is he _not_ doing." He glanced at Mike and then down at the pile of papers in Mike's hands.

"Hey, don't I get at least a little credit for being here three hours early?" said Mike, pouting exaggeratedly.

"Well, normally no," said Harvey cheerfully. "But if I ride your ass about not working hard enough, I'll never hear the end of it from Sy Prescott." He turned to Donna and said, "Kid gets them a five-fifty settlement and he suddenly he thinks he can waltz in here at all hours."

Mike gulped and lost his voice for a moment. "Carmichael _settled for five hundred and fifty million_?" he sputtered. "Because of Facebook?"

"Don't let your head get too big there, Mike," said Harvey. "The door to my office isn't that big. And the exploits of Carmichael junior was only a part of it."

"But it's what got them to cave, isn't it?" said Mike. He knew Harvey well enough that he could read the answer on the man's face by now. _Oh,_ he thought, _I'm going to use this for months._

Harvey realized he was receiving smirks from both Mike and Donna and said indignantly, "Don't you two have work to do?"

"Hey, I was here before you were," said Mike, knowing the minute that he said it he should have known better.

Harvey gave him a look and said, "Do you _really_ want to go there?"

"Uh, yeah, I have work," said Mike, and scuttled into Harvey's office.

He was laying out the paperwork they were going to need on the small conference table while Harvey chatted with Donna. After a few minutes, Harvey walked into the office and settled into his desk.

Mike had expected Harvey to join him at the table once he was finished, but when he turned around, Harvey was merely sitting at his desk and staring at him with an inscrutable expression.

"What?" said Mike, thinking that he _had_ to get out of the habit of running through his head the list of all possible offences every time Harvey got like this.

"I need to tell you something, but before I do, I want you to promise me that you and Trevor are _done_. No sympathy phone calls, no emails, and absolutely no visits."

Mike blanched, turned around and leaned against the table, facing Harvey. "What's going on? What happened? Is Trevor okay?" he said warily.

"Trevor is-" Harvey pulled out his phone for a minute, "somewhere over South Dakota right now." He put his phone on the desk and said, "Trevor's fine. But he isn't the one I'm worried about."

"Harvey, what's going on?" Mike's stomach did a freefall at the frank admission of Harvey worrying about anyone, let alone himself.

"Promise me," said Harvey, gazing at him sternly.

"Okay, yes, we're done. I said that before and I meant it. But Harvey, if he has like, cancer, or something, you should know that I'm not going to sit by and do nothing."

Harvey shook his head and gave Mike that familiar glance filled with both exasperation and affection. Then he turned serious and said, "He doesn't have cancer, Mike. He has a gun."

"What?"

"Well, _had_ a gun, and an unregistered gun at that. Rick found it when Trevor was packing his things. Damn thing was hidden in a suitcase, can you believe that?"

"Trevor was never into guns," said Mike softly.

"Well he is now, apparently." said Harvey bitterly. "I mean it, Mike. The guy is bad news. I want you to cut him loose for good this time." The unspoken consequences of not doing so hung heavy in the air between them.

Mike was silent for a moment and then said, "You're always telling me that life is nothing more than a constant series of negotiations. So here's the counterproposal."

Harvey smirked, amused, and said, "I'm listening."

"I can't promise what you're asking. Yes, as far as I'm concerned Trevor and I are done. But I'm not about to make commemorative t-shirts about it. Jenny is still in my life, and because of that, so is my history with Trevor. I don't know what's going to happen in the future."

"Still waiting for the counterproposal," said Harvey, tapping his fingers on his desk.

"I'm getting to that part, sheesh," said Mike. He took a deep breath and thought, _Here goes nothing._ "If Trevor is back in my life for any reason, and I can't see any scenario where this is a pleasant experience, I'm going to come to you about it." Mike had been staring at the floor but he met Harvey's gaze at that point and added, "But I want advice as a friend, Harvey, not a mentor."

Part of Mike's brain was screaming at him that he had just damaged his professional relationship with Harvey beyond repair, but there was another part of him that desperately wanted some kind of tangible proof of this elusive friendship between them that seemed to wane in and out depending on Harvey's mood and the day of the week.

"So we're friends now?" said Harvey, the classic smirk back on his face.

The sarcasm was a punch in Mike's gut and the smirk was a stab in the back at the same time. _What the hell was I thinking? Of course he doesn't give a shit._ Mike schooled his expressions carefully around Harvey but this time he didn't rein in his disappointment. He turned back to the papers on the table and said stonily, "You have everything you need here. I'll have the more peripheral reports to you by the end of the day."

"Don't change the subject," said Harvey firmly.

Mike was about to return a biting reply when they were interrupted by the arrival of Louis, who had barged past Donna's currently-vacated desk.

"Louis!" smirked Harvey. "To what do we owe the displeasure!"

Mike was about to use Louis' entrance as his cue to exit when Louis turned to him and said "You. Stay right there."

His eyes narrowed in annoyance as Mike's first reaction was to turn to Harvey, who gave him a subtle nod. Mike leaned against the conference table.

Louis turned to Harvey and said, "Are you out of your goddamned mind?"

"No more than usual," said Harvey cheerfully. "What's rattling the lion's cage today?"

"First, quit screwing with my associates. And second, your boy here owes me seven more days, and I want them starting tomorrow," Louis said indignantly.

Mike groaned inwardly. He had sincerely hoped that Louis had forgotten that his ten days of indentured servitude had been interrupted by his assistance on the Clifford Danner case. Apparently not.

"What makes you think I'm going to just hand him over?" said Harvey, clearly enjoying himself.

"Well, since _my_ guys are too busy writing 'I will not be mean to Mike Ross' on the chalkboard to do the research I need, I find myself shorthanded on the Millis embezzlement case. You know," he turned to Mike, "for a kid whose good with numbers, I'm surprised the number seven escaped your notice."

"Quit giving him shit, Louis," said Harvey. Mike would have been extremely touched by Harvey's defense if he hadn't known without a doubt that it was for Louis' benefit, and not his own. "I need him tomorrow, but you can have him after that."

"Harvey!" said Mike in protest, though he should have known this was coming.

"Full time, Harvey. None of this half-day shit. And the kid works on _my_ cases when he's at his desk."

Harvey sighed and said, "Done." He dismissed the both of them by taking a sudden interest in the case file on his desk and muttered, "Need a break from him anyway." He was too engrossed in his file to see the stricken look on Mike's face as he headed out the door.

* o * o * o * o * o *

Author's note: Gabriel Macht said in an interview once that Harvey gets on Mike's case but tends to defend Mike behind his back, and we've seen this on the show a couple of times. I think Harvey also has a great deal of concern for Mike but shows it on his own terms, and I don't think he'd react well to being painted into a corner (by Mike or anyone else). These are both ideas I'm planning on delving into in upcoming chapters.

And I cannot say THANK YOU enough times to everyone who has left feedback for this series. I never post WIPs until they're nearly done and all I have left to do is editing, but I'm truly working without a net on this one. (Have to say, though, the entire story is already outlined) It is so great to know people are still interested in reading it!


	5. Damages

CHAPTER FIVE: Damages

Mike had only been working off the last of Harvey's bet for a day and a half, but as he gazed at the amount of files on his desk, he wondered if Louis was under the impression that the bet was for seven _months, _not seven days. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I heard that," said Louis, suddenly appearing at his desk. Mike wondered if somewhere in the basement of Pearson Hardman there was a secret facility for the Partners that brought them up to speed on stealth tactics.

"I'm not done with the number crunching," said Mike, with habitual defensiveness. "You just gave these to me a half an hour ago."

"Forget that," said Louis. "Judge Mulroney has some questions about the financials we entered into evidence. You have a meeting in his chambers at three fifteen."

"I have a meeting, not _we_?" said Mike with surprise. "You're not going?"

Louis gave Mike a patronizing glance. "You're the one who prepared the spreadsheets, you should be able to answer a few simple questions."

"Well, yeah," said Mike. Truthfully, he could have recreated the entire set of spreadsheets from memory on a few blank sheets of paper. What rattled him was that Louis so cavalierly assigned him to go visit a Judge he had never met, over a case he had been working on for less than forty-eight hours. If there was one thing he knew for sure, whatever Louis' reasoning, it wasn't out of some newfound faith in Mike's own abilities. He couldn't come up with a valid excuse to get out of it, however, so he thought it best to readily agree, at least for the moment.

"Good," said Louis. He turned to walk back to his office but called out over his shoulder, "And Ross, change your damn tie before you go to the Courthouse."

_Fucking control freak_, thought Mike.

* o * o * o * o *

"Come on, Donna," he said plaintively. "Help me out here." He was at Donna's desk about forty-five minutes later with three ties in hand, somewhat amazed that they hadn't wrinkled from being stashed in his desk.

"Since when am I your own personal fashion consultant?" she said, by way of answer. He merely gazed at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh fine," she said, sighing exasperatedly. "The one on the right. Why does Louis care, anyway?" she said, knowing the man had little taste for fashion.

"I think he was hoping I'd have to go home, thus offering yet another reason for him to get on my case," said Mike miserably.

She gave him a commiserative smile and said, "You're young. Surely you can last one more week."

"Seven days," said Mike. "He's expecting the weekend too, I know he is, but he's not counting it."

"You know, Louis is going to have an aneurism if he sees you anywhere near my office this week," said Harvey, who had just walked in from the elevator. _Damn, how does he DO that?_ thought Mike, who was seriously considering an exploratory visit to the lower levels of Pearson Hardman.

"He just left for court," said Mike.

"Without you?" said Harvey in mock astonishment.

"Different case," said Mike. "I'm supposed to go talk to Judge Mulroney this afternoon at three. Go over the financials we sent over for the Stacey Millis' defense." Mike had meant to brag a bit regarding the fact that Louis was sending him over to talk to a judge by himself, something Harvey never did. He was _not_ prepared for Harvey's reaction.

"That son of a bitch," Harvey said acidly. He shot Mike a look and said, "My office. Now."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" said Mike, dizzy with confusion. "What's the big deal about me going to see Judge Mulroney?" He thought a moment and added with not a small amount of sarcasm, "You worried that I'll screw it up?"

"Frankly? Yes." said Harvey matter-of-factly.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. " Mike was going to take a seat on the sofa but had become too angry to sit and began pacing in front of the window.

"It's not what you think," said Harvey, his tone softening. "What do you know about Judge Mulroney?"

"Thirty-five years on the bench, somewhat conservative but he seems to be relatively fair in his judgments."

"That's the print version," said Harvey. "Goddamn it. I'm going to kill him for this."

"Harvey, are you going to tell me why you're so pissed or do I have to keep guessing?"

Harvey sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Judge Mulroney is a good guy, fair judge, just like it says on all your paperwork."

"Then what the hell is the problem?"

"He's been a federal judge for nearly thirty years. He's one of the most respected members of the New York state judiciary."

"So?"

"So, he feels that he is entitled to a certain amount of respect."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, that when law firms like Pearson Hardman are representing a client, they do _not_ send anyone less than Junior Partners to meet with the Judge."

Mike reeled. "You mean Louis was sending me over there-"

"…as a slap in the face."

"Great," said Mike, wondering if his self-esteem could go any lower that week.

"It's worse than that," said Harvey. "Louis and Mulroney go way back, so he would likely smooth things over. But once Mulroney takes a dislike to you…"

"So much for that legendary fairness, huh?"

"You'll have a hard time in his courtroom, and so will anyone you work with," said Harvey meaningfully.

"You're not telling me everything," said Mike. "What else is there?"

"We've been assigned a judge for Lucy Adler's sexual harassment case that starts next month."

"No…you've got to be kidding me."

"Wish I was," said Harvey, sighing. He joined Mike at the window and took in the view, mind whirling.

"What am I going to do?" said Mike. He couldn't outright disobey Louis, and besides, one did not cancel on a Federal judge. His mind started going back to the numbers, wondering if there was a way to follow through with the meeting productively, without suffering the backlash. But if Harvey was right, the battle would be lost the second he stepped through the door.

Harvey didn't answer him but instead stared at the window.

"Okay, then," said Mike, secretly hoping this wasn't going to be one of those times where Harvey left him to fend for himself. "I'll figure something out."

He was halfway to the door when Harvey, still staring out the window, said, "Mike, wait."

Harvey turned around and said "Donna, cancel my afternoon appointments." Mike saw an acknowledging wave from Donna's desk as she picked up the phone.

"What are you going to do?" said Mike.

"Whoever shows up to this meeting is going to be paying the price for a very long time. It's not going to be you, but I'm not going to torpedo anyone else's career either." And with that no-I'm-not-a-caring-person look, he added, "I'll just have to go myself."

"But-" Mike sputtered. "You don't know one end of the financials from the other." He cringed at the daggers Harvey threw in his direction. "I'm just saying."

"That's why you're coming with."

"But you just said-"

"I said the Judge wanted respect, not that he was an idiot. He knows the associates do the bulk of the heavy lifting, but he expects the presence of a Partner as some kind of homage to his greatness."

"Wow," said Mike. "Someone whose ego is even bigger than yours."

"Do you want me to get you out of this mess or not?" said Harvey, giving Mike an indignant look. "Because I was scheduled to watch some paint dry this afternoon and that is turning into a very exciting prospect right now."

"Okay, okay," said Mike. "Yes, I could use some help with this." He knew if he pressed the matter, Harvey would launch into a long speech about how he was doing this to preserve the integrity of his upcoming case, but Mike knew better. He was still hurt, however, by the fact that Harvey seemed to define their relationship on his own terms. As Harvey's protégé, he was entitled to these fierce displays of protectiveness, but as a friend, he was lucky to get the time of day.

* o * o * o * o * o *

Mike was silent in the town car on the way back to Pearson Hardman, choosing instead to listen to the soft strains of jazz.

"I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls by now," said Harvey. "That went well."

"It went really well," said Mike, still staring out the window.

"Then why are you sulking?" Mike couldn't see Harvey but could feel the forceful gaze against the back of his neck.

"Your numbers were solid, the judge was impressed, and we're good with our case next month," Harvey continued.

Mike leaned his head against the glass and said softly, "I am getting really tired of being swatted back and forth between you and Louis like a tennis ball." He almost added, _I could take it if I thought you gave a damn about me, personally, but you don't._

"You're still pissed about the bet," said Harvey, amusement creeping back into his voice. It died a little as he saw angry look on Mike's face as the younger man turned to face him.

"Do you know why you had to do what you did today? Because of these little games you and Louis are so fond of playing. I know it goes back to before I started working for you, but you've both found a new toy to bat back and forth, and every time you do, my career is one more step closer to going down the drain. You're both playing your own version of Bizarro chess. You try to outwit him on a case, he steals your associate for two weeks. You punish his guys, he sends yours on a suicide run."

"You know, a little gratitude goes a long way," said Harvey, irritated.

"You didn't do this for me," said Mike. He knew he should just shut up then and there, but Harvey's comments earlier in the week had been gnawing at him. "You said yourself that it would torpedo Lucy's case if I showed up in court with you. And since I'm the one who's been working with her, you can't exactly leave me behind. Like you said, I'm a reflection of you," _Nothing more, it seems, _thought Mike. "That's the damage control you were doing this afternoon."

"And whether you like it or not, you are reaping the benefits of my not-inconsiderable generosity," said Harvey, with an arrogance that made Mike suddenly want to punch him.

"Thank you," said Mike sarcastically. "I'll start working on the shrine as soon as Louis lets me out of the tower."

"Be sure you have a life-sized statue of me," said Harvey. "I deserve nothing less."

"Oh you deserve a lot," said Mike under his breath.

"I heard that."

"You were meant to."

* o * o * o * o *

They had just exited the elevator on the way to Harvey's office when Louis' voice rang out down the hallway.

"Ah! Just the two gentlemen I was looking for," he said angrily. "Do you want to have this conversation in the hallway, Harvey, or should we go into your office?"

Harvey made a sweeping gesture towards his office and the two men followed.

"What is it now, Louis? Your wife and I have early dinner plans."

"Judge Mulroney says 'hi'," said Louis, shooting Mike a glare that nearly melted him to the floor. Turning his gaze to Harvey he said acidly, "What the hell do you think you're doing getting involved in my case?"

Harvey's voice took on a deceptively soft tone as he said, "I wouldn't have had to get involved in your case at all if you hadn't decided to be such a vindictive prick."

Mike had heard the two men banter and yell at each other since the day he stepped into the office, but he had never seen Harvey speak to Louis with so much hatred.

"Excuse me?" said Louis, also taken aback by Harvey's outburst.

"You heard what I said. You and I both know that sending Mike over there by himself was a death sentence in Mulroney's courtroom. It was a cheap shot, Louis, even for you."

"I apparently have more faith in Mr. Ross' abilities than you do," said Louis evenly.

"The hell you do," said Harvey. "Play all the games you want, Louis, but if you threaten Mike's career again, I will bring you up before the Partners in a heartbeat."

"You arrogant bastard," sputtered Louis. "You think the Senior Partners give a rat's ass about one lowly little associate?"

"They give a rat's ass about _me_," Harvey said with maddening confidence. "And so does Jessica. You and I both know what she'd say about the stunt you pulled today."

Mike saw Louis flinch for the briefest second, and then the rage returned.

"Run to mommy if you want," said Louis. "But Ross still owes me another work week, and I intend to collect. Unless you're welching on our bet."

"Not at all," said Harvey smarmily. "Mike," he nodded to Mike and then the door.

"My office, Ross," called Louis as he made his way out the door. It was going to be a long rest of the day.

*o * o * o * o *

Norma wouldn't let Mike into Louis' office unless the man himself was sitting at his desk, so Mike loitered awkwardly in the administrative area. Just like her boss, she was one of the few AAs who wouldn't speak to him any more than necessary.

Louis arrived shortly and passed Mike without a word, obviously expecting him to follow.

Mike took a deep breath and headed into the office, which in spite of the glass walls, seemed much darker than it should.

"Look, Louis," he blurted as he came into the office. "I didn't 'run' to Harvey with this, I just mentioned I was off to see Judge Mulroney and he went ballistic." He wasn't trying to stab Harvey in the back any more than necessary, but he did have to work with Louis for the next week, and if the man had it out for him more than usual, the time spent would go from merely miserable to unbearable.

"Forget it," said Louis, with an eerie cheerfulness that Mike found immensely disturbing.

"Okay…" said Mike, caught off guard. "Do you want to go over the results of the meeting?"

"No need," said Louis. "I caught up with Judge Mulroney personally. He filled me in. I called you in here for a different reason."

"And that would be…" Mike was immediately wondering how long one could survive on absolutely no sleep whatsoever, because he was sure that whatever Louis was about to dump in his lap would warrant exactly that.

"Seth Carlisle," said Louis. "As you know, Ken Riley and I are putting him on the stand next week." It was the one case of Louis' that Mike had hoped to keep his distance from. Seth Carlisle was the infamous son of Gregory Carlisle, a hedge fund manager that was one of Pearson Hardman's oldest and most lucrative clients. Seth had been involved in a drunk driving accident that had resulted in the death of an eleven-year-old girl and multiple injuries to the rest of her family. Since Louis was a personal friend of Gregory Carlisle, he was acting as co-counsel along with one of Pearson Hardman's most accomplished criminal defense attorneys.

"What does this have to do with me?" said Mike, warily.

"We just got the financials back on the Wilson family," said Louis. "I want you to go through them with a fine-toothed comb." He held out a stack of folders to Mike, who looked at him in horror.

"Yes, you're on the other side of the moral fence this time," said Louis unsympathetically. "I know Harvey coddles you with these touchy-feely pro-bono cases but it's high time you grew up." He shook the folders emphatically. "Unless you think you can't handle it."

"No," said Mike shakily, "I can handle it."

Louis ignored the uncertainty in his voice and said, "Good."

"I'll get these to you by tomorrow morning."

"Have them to be by eight thirty. We're due in court at ten. And I want your notes on the testimony to me by the end of the day."

"Wait, what?" said Mike, trying to ignore the spinning of the room.

"You don't think I'm going to let you stay here and run back to Harvey's office the minute my back is turned, do you?" he said viciously. "I need to keep an eye on you, and I need that oversized brain of yours to mesh the documented facts with the testimonies as they happen. It's a win-win, well, for me anyway."

"Louis, I don't think-"

Louis merely frowned at him and said, "Why are you still here?"

He didn't notice that the younger man was shaking has he left the office. Mike made it to the Partners restroom seconds before he started throwing up.

* o * o * o * o * o *

Yes, dear readers, there IS more angst to come. (And don't we all love it that way? :)


	6. Trauma

**Author's Note**: Sorry the next installment has been so late. I have been SWAMPED with work lately and haven't been able to get back to this. Warning: this installment is far darker and angsty than I ever intended, and has references to the death of a child in an auto accident (short bit of trial testimony). Most of the story is still centered on Mike and Harvey.

* o * o * o * o * o *

CHAPTER SIX: TRAUMA

It had been five days since Louis had pulled him into the Carlisle trial, and in that time, other than to chide him for sloppy work, Louis had not discussed the case with him once. In true Louis Litt fashion, he was expected to be at the trial but did not warrant a seat at the defense table or anywhere near it. He took a seat in the back, and as the hours dragged on, kept his sanity by focusing on the little things: the tiny curl of the police officer's unironed tie, the faintest accent of the medical examiner, the fractal patterns of the paisleys on Mrs. Wilson's skirt. He soon discovered that it was easier to blank out in the present and then muddle through the recorded testimony later, where the visible pain and grief of the family before him could be diluted by the stops and starts of the digital recorder. He thought he had done a fairly decent job of distancing himself from current events, until he woke up in a cold sweat later that night, and every night after, certain that he was trapped in the backseat of an overturned SUV.

His only measure of comfort was that Harvey had been MIA for the better part of that time. The face that looked back at him in the mirror these days was both haggard and haunted, as unbecoming to a Pearson Hardman attorney as a store-bought business suit. Harvey surely would have noticed, and demanded an explanation. There was a time when he would have told the older man everything, but Harvey had made it clear to him over and over again that protégés don't do such things. Harvey's words about his weak stomach regarding the mock trial still stung, and Mike didn't want to give him one more reasons to think he couldn't separate the professional from the personal.

He had the best of intentions: weather things with the goddamned trial, stay away from both Louis and Harvey as much as possible, finish his testimony summaries, and not lose his mind in the process. Of course, it all went to hell later that afternoon.

It was nearly four p.m, and he was still making notes on Mr. Wilson's testimony earlier that morning. He had shut his brain completely off during that portion of the trial, doing math problems in his head, rereading his mental copy of the newly-drawn McKernan motors contract, anything to turn Burt Wilson's agonizing answers into nothing more than sound waves that fell on distracted ears. Headphones on, he started up the recording again and blanched at the next portion of the audio file.

'Mr. Wilson, you said that the van rolled three times before it came to a stop. What happened then' asked the ADA.

Wilson was silent for a moment – soft sobs could be heard in the background. Then he said brokenly, "First thing I did was to check on the kids in the back. Andy was screaming, and Melissa…" he sobbed again. "Melissa wasn't moving, and there was so much blood..."

It was all Mike could do to make it to the men's room before he threw up. He stifled a sob and splashed cold water on his face, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down. Images flooded his waking mind this time, of his silent parents in the front seat of the overturned SUV. He tried to shake off the memory, to focus on the room around him, the edge of the counter that was digging into his hands. He suddenly noticed that one of the bathroom stalls was occupied. He wanted to bolt but knew he couldn't possibly go back to his desk in his current condition. Thinking quickly, he opened and closed the door to the restroom to suggest whomever had come in had already left. Thanking his luck that the associate's restroom was a split design with a shared wall, he disappeared around the corner to the section that was rarely used, and sank down against the far wall, trying to stifle the sounds of his ragged breathing. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and was resting his forehead against crossed arms, when a familiar voice unceremoniously interrupted his panic attack.

"Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on with you?" said Harvey softly, a concerned frown on his face.

_Oh God,_ thought Mike. _Of all the goddamned luck_.

"Harvey," he said, almost defensively. He shot up off the floor like a canon and wobbled a moment as lightheadedness overtook him. He steadied himself against the wall, hoping by some miracle Harvey had failed to notice his lack of coordination. "It's nothing, just taking a short break." He tried to look and sound nonchalant but failed miserably.

"Yeah," said Harvey calculatingly. "That was not nothing. Here," he said, grabbing Mike's arm, "Let me help you before you fall over. You're going to crack your head open and the cleaning staff hates washing blood off of marble floors."

Harvey meant the latter as a joke but was unprepared for Mike's violent reaction. He jerked out of Harvey's grasp and didn't manage to make it to the sink this time. He fell to his knees and emptied the last of his stomach onto the floor. He backed up to the nearby wall and leaned against it, gazing at Harvey with anguished eyes.

"Michael, talk to me," said Harvey. He stopped to wet several paper towels and handed them to Mike, kneeling down next to him. "What's going on?"

"I tried, Harvey," said Mike between ragged breaths. "I wanted to show you I could handle this, and I thought I could handle this case, but it's too much." The memory came back to him then, not just of Mr. Wilson's digital testimony, but the rest that he had apparently unsuccessfully tried to block himself from hearing in the courtroom. "She was covered in blood," he said softly, "just like they were. He said his son was screaming, but it was quiet in the car when they died." He looked at Harvey with horrified eyes. "There was just me. For a long time, there was just me."

"Oh hell," said Harvey. He put one hand on Mike's face and said "Mike, look at me. Come on, look at me." He patted Mike's face gently to get the younger man's attention. "You're okay, you're safe. I'm right here, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay?"

Mike focused on Harvey once again but the only thing his mind saw in Harvey's eyes was disappointment. "I'm sorry," he said once again.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," said Harvey. "Come on, you can't stay here." He grabbed Mike's arm and pulled him up, steadying the younger man when he started to sway again.

"I can't-" said Mike, gesturing to the associate's pen beyond. He needed a quiet room away from everything for awhile. Sitting at his cubicle was the last place he wanted to be.

"My office," said Harvey gently. "Come on."

* o * o * o * o * o *

Donna was at her desk when they arrived and looked stricken at the sight of Mike's appearance.

"Do you need anything?" she asked Harvey.

"No, we're fine, just keep the interruptions to a minimum, would you?" asked Harvey.

"Sure thing."

Harvey led Mike to the sofa and pulled out a remote control from his desk drawer. The windows of his office hummed slightly and suddenly became opaque.

"I didn't know you could do that," he said tonelessly.

"You didn't think we all live in fishbowls twenty-four, seven, did you?" he said, handing Mike a bottle of water. "Here, drink this."

Mike took a few sips, relishing the feeling of cool liquid down his scalded throat. He took a few deep breaths, and inwardly steeled himself for the rebuke he knew was coming. Best to head this off now, he thought.

"I'm sorry, Harvey," he said looking at the floor. "I don't know why I lost it back there. It won't happen again."

"I know why you lost it back there," said Harvey gently. "Louis put you on that fucking trial, didn't he?"

"He said he wanted me to take notes on the testimony," said Mike, shuddering. "He said he wanted me to be in court so I wouldn't miss anything."

Harvey's eyes widened in shock and he said darkly, "How long?"

"I'm sorry?" said Mike, confused.

"How long have you been sitting in on this trial?" said Harvey, his voice turning to acid.

As was his habit, and worse at that moment because of his increased stress, Mike misinterpreted Harvey's anger at the situation for anger at his associate. _He thinks I can't even handle five days of this, _thought Mike. _Pathetic._

"Harvey look, it was just a glitch, okay? I told you I'm over it," he could feel the tears welling in his eyes but tried to ignore them. So far that afternoon he had relived the worst day of his life, he couldn't bear seeing the disappointment in Harvey's eyes as well. "Thank you for the water. I should get back to work."

Harvey put a restraining hand on his chest to keep him from leaving. "You're not going anywhere. Now tell me how long you've been on this trial."

Mike hung his head and said "Since last Friday." Harvey scowled at him.

"Look, I know think I can't keep my personal feelings out of my work," Mike tried again. "I just… had a bad moment, okay? It didn't affect the client, I still have several hours before I have to turn these notes into Louis…"

"You're going to go back to your desk and finish listening to the same testimony that sent you into a PTSD tailspin?" said Harvey, incredulous.

"What choice do I have?" said Mike honestly, too exhausted to be flippant.

Harvey sighed exasperatedly. "What choice do you have?" he said angrily. "You get your ass up to my office and you tell *me*. You don't just sit there and let Louis run over your emotional stability with a tank."

"Why?" said Mike, his tone genuinely curious. Harvey frowned at the complete lack of sarcasm.

"What do you mean, 'why'?" asked Harvey. "Isn't this afternoon reason enough?"

It was at precisely that moment that Mike realized he had given up on any possibility of a friendship between them. He tried to ignore that small voice in his head that was screaming at him to break down and tell Harvey everything, desperately seeking comfort. The logical portion of his mind told the aching part to shut up: that kind of behavior was reserved for situations in which the confidante actually gave a damn, and Harvey Specter most certainly did not. Given their professional relationship, Mike thought, nothing about this situation warranted Harvey's appraisal or his interference.

Mike retreated into himself and recited facts and figures like a litany. "Trial summaries are deposited on Louis' desk every night by nine pm, an hour before his stated deadline. As an associate of this firm, I am contractually obligated to handle both your cases and Louis' as the two of you designate," he said flatly. "It is your prerogative to relinquish said responsibilities to Louis at any time, and my responsibility to carry out the assignments I have been given. At this time, I am on deadline and have not compromised my work performance in any way." _Just don't ask me about the nightmares, or why I lay awake every night wondering if there's a stash of pot somewhere in the apartment that I had forgotten about._

"Thank you, Rainman," said Harvey irritatedly. "Now cut the crap and tell me what's really going on here. Why the hell didn't you come talk to me about this?"

Mike said simply, "It's not your problem."

"Not my problem-" Harvey was about to launch into a tirade but took a deep breath instead. He was silent a moment and then said softly, "I know exactly what happened to you. I know about the accident."

Mike's eyes snapped to Harvey's concerned gaze.

"Even with that freaky brain of yours, you didn't think I'd let you waltz in here without asking Vanessa for a _real_ background check, did you?"

If Vanessa was involved, there was precious little about him that Harvey didn't know. Mike reeled from the betrayal.

"You fucking bastard," said Mike venomously. He tried to wrap his brain around the idea that Harvey had intentionally put him through the hell of the last five days by giving him back to Louis. Was it a test of some sort? Had he finally decided he had had enough but wanted Mike to leave the firm quietly, on his own terms? The thoughts ran together in his mind like some sinister kaleidoscope. But above the fray was something else entirely: a mind-numbing, abject terror that someone he trusted would orchestrate a situation that would shatter him nearly as completely as the windshield of the overturned suburban that he couldn't get out of his mind.

"At least tell me why, Harvey. Why would you do this to me?" he spoke softly, barely able to find his voice.

"I don't know why it's such a surprise," Harvey bristled uncomfortably. "In case you forgot, you didn't exactly walk into the firm with a Harvard diploma under your arm."

"Not that," said Mike brokenly. He looked at Harvey through moist, haunted eyes and said "You gave me back to Louis. Why did you want this?" He shook his head and through a soft sob that he could no longer hold back said, "God, I am _such_ an idiot."

"You think I knew about this?" said Harvey, reeling. "You think I _planned_ it? Jesus Christ, Mike, why would I ever do something like that to anyone, let alone a friend?"

"You're the one who is always telling me that I can't separate my personal and professional life," said Mike, "And you're the one who said we are not friends. 'I am a reflection of you, and you absolutely care about you'." His voice softened to a whisper and he said "I would have tried harder if you had just asked. You didn't have to do this."

Harvey moved the coffee table away from the sofa a few inches and sat on the edge of it, facing Mike. There was a soft reflection in his eyes that could have been tears, but the idea was so impossible Mike dismissed it immediately.

"Listen to me, kid, and listen good. I did _not_ want this to happen to you, not in a million years. I gave you back to Louis because…" his voice took on a tinge of embarrassment, "I didn't want him holding this over either one of us in the future. And you and I both know that's exactly what he would do."

"I started to tell you about Vanessa's background check because I wanted you to know that I knew what happened to you. I also wanted to tell you that the second you were reassigned to Louis, I forbid him from putting you anywhere near this case."

Mike's eyes widened in surprise. "You what?"

Harvey sighed raggedly. "You were supposed to be compiling financials for the Ellis depositions next week. You were _not_," and he gazed at Mike's eyes in silent apology, "supposed to spend five days reliving the worst moment of your childhood." He put a hand on Mike's shoulder and added "I'm so sorry. And don't you think for a second I wouldn't have put a stop to it had I found out."

"You were trying to keep me away from this trial?" said Mike, still stuck in a surreal haze in which Harvey Specter actually gave a damn.

"What did I just say?" said Harvey, smirking.

"But you don't care. We're not friends…" Mike said simply. His emotions had taken a beating over the last few days, and he was too exhausted to be anything but honest.

"Mike, you are one of the few people in this building that I _do_ care about. But I wouldn't exactly say we're friends." He winced as Mike's face fell and then lifted his chin up to meet Harvey's eyes once again. "We're more than that, and you know it. We're…. complicated," he added with a sly grin.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he said as he saw Mike's stricken expression.

"I- I wanted to tell you, Harvey. I couldn't talk to anyone about it. It was just-" They looked at each other and the same unspoken thought passed between them. Mike had instead chosen to put himself through hell rather than face Harvey's disappointment.

"You are going to screw up again," said Harvey gently. "It is going to happen, and I am going to be pissed, but I am going to get over it. But don't ever shut yourself off from me like this again because you're afraid of what I'm going to say. Okay?"

"Okay," said Mike, sighing with relief.

"Now, I'm going to have Ray take you home, and you're reporting back to me first thing tomorrow morning."

"But Louis-" said Mike.

"You let me deal with Louis," said Harvey. The phrase _now and always_ was written on his face. "Things are escalating between the two of us, and I'm not letting you fight your own battles with him again."

"Donna? Make sure all of Mike's notes are delivered to Gregory's desk by the end of the day."

"Okay," said a slightly wavering voice over the intercom. Mike and Harvey grinned at each other, knowing full well that Donna likely had a tissue in her hand.

Harvey's gaze softened into one of affection and concern and he added, "If you need to talk. Tonight, whenever. You call me."

Mike gave him a calculating glance and said with a smirk, "Is that what not-friends are for?"

"Damn right," said Harvey, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

"Now get out of here, he added. And don't stop at your desk tomorrow morning. I'll have Ray pick you up at six forty-five, and you come straight to my office."

Mike was puzzled about the time for a moment and then said, knowingly, "Because Hurricane Louis will arrive around 7:30?"

"It _is_ going to get a little rough around here," said Harvey darkly. "And I want you safely out of the way when the storm hits."

Mike groaned at the cheesy pun but beamed at Harvey nevertheless, grinning even wider at the self-conscious expression on Harvey's face. _Yup_,_ not-friendships definitely have their advantages._ Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

* o * o * o * o * o * o *

Authors note: Yes, the electrically opaque glass actually does exist – I always wondered why they didn't have it at Pearson Hardman (or maybe they do?) Saw that on an episode of White Collar once. It was inspiring.

And in the next installment…. Harvey goes ballistic. Need I say more? :) Thank you for all your comments on this story! I appreciate each and every one of them.


	7. Vesuvius

Authors note: This chapter still takes place in flashback but brings us back to present day of Chapter 1. Additional notes (and profuse apologies) below.

**Chapter 7: Vesuvius**

Although he had not yet made Senior Partner at Pearson-Hardman, Louis Litt was a fairly wealthy man by Junior Partner standards. The same financial savvy that had propelled his career was also responsible for the Jaguar XK that he was currently parking in the underground parking garage. He took his usual space near the wall, grimacing in trepidation at the space next to his, realizing he wouldn't know till the end of the day if its occupant was of the careful or clumsy variety. He had completed a few strides to the elevator when his phone chirped with a text message.

_My office. 8:00. –Jessica_

His mind automatically delved into any negative reason Jessica might want to meet with him, but he was drawing a blank. The Carlisle case was as going as well as expected, and the two mergers he was overseeing were too preliminary in their planning to warrant a progress report. He shrugged and continued on his way to his office.

He detoured through the bull pen as he always did, a not so subtle reminder to the underlings that he was keeping an eye on them. He immediately noted two things: His protégé, Gregory, was suddenly engrossed at his desk, nervously shuffling papers. Second, it was 7:30 in the morning and Mike Ross' cubicle was untouched.

"Gregory, where the hell is Ross?" He said, digging his phone out of his pocket to personally chide the younger associate.

Gregory's head snapped up and gave him his most pleading don't-kill-the-messenger stare. "He's not here," said Gregory, obviously hoping to delay the inevitable by even a few seconds.

"I can see that, Genius," said Louis, growing irritated. "Son of a bitch," he added. "Don't tell me he's in Harveys' office."

"He's- He's down on fourth working with Bill Mackey." At Louis' incredulous look, Gregory added, "Harvey pulled him out of here about half an hour ago."

What the hell was Ross doing working with the sole member/figurehead of Pearson Hardman's Environmental Law division? He didn't' know much about the man, other than the fact that Harvey and Bill Mackey had roomed together for a short time at Harvard. If Harvey was the type to have a best friend, Mackey would have fit the bill. He shook his head derisively at Harvey's feeble attempt to renege on their deal, and he headed down to fourth.

"Louis! Good to see you," said Mackey, ever polite. He wasn't the type Louis would have expected to form a lasting friendship with Harvey. He had a tall lanky frame, thick framed glasses, and an easy smile. He reminded Louis of Jeff Goldblum.

"Hey, Bill," said Louis. "I heard a rumor that Mike Ross was hiding out down here." Louis didn't fail to notice that Bill's easy smile slipped a small bit at his last words. He continued in a low, conspiratorial voice, "I don't know if you've heard, but Harvey lost a bet, and Ross is supposed to be compiling witness testimony for me for the rest of the week."

"He's here," said Mackey, "but he's not going anywhere." He moved a step to the left as Louis attempted to walk over to the small conference room off Mackey's office.

"Bill," said Louis condescendingly. "I think we both know that this is one of Harvey's little stunts. The sooner Ross gets back up to my office and gets back to work on the depositions, the sooner I forget this whole thing ever happened."

Mackey continued to smile at him but he was surprised at the steel that was suddenly behind his eyes. His voice dropped softly and he said with sadness, "You're going to want to let this go, Louis."

"Let it go?" said Louis, his anger winning out over his last attempt at civility. "Did Harvey tell you about our deal? I'm not going to stand by and be jerked around again by that arrogant –"

"Louis, you _really _need to let this go," interrupted Mackey. "You've done enough damage already." He glanced at his watch. "And I believe you're going to be late for an appointment."

Louis blanched at the last half of his statement. "What do you mean by that? Done what damage?" he said, dumbfounded. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised by that statement or by the fact that Mackey obviously knew why Jessica wanted to see him. This was _not good._

"What the hell is going on?" he said uncertainly.

"You didn't know," said Mackey, mulling over the idea in his head. "I'll tell them that, if it helps," he said, with a kindness that chilled Louis to the bone. "Best get going, he added, tapping his watch."

Louis got on the elevator, marveling at the irony that as he rose to the twenty-fifth floor, he was simultaneously falling down the rabbit hole.

* o * o * o * o *

His second indication that things were not going to go well that morning was the death glare from Donna as she passed him in the hallway. He had thought for a moment about trying to coax her into giving him a clue as to what the meeting with Jessica was about, but the utter contempt in her eyes told him he wouldn't get very far. What the hell was going on?

He was not surprised to see Harvey in Jessica's office as he made his way down the hall, but he was surprised to see Harvey pacing the room like a caged tiger. He was shaking his head, and it almost appeared as if Jessica was trying to calm him down.

"The gang's all here, I see," he said flatly as he made his way into Jessica's office.

"You son of a bitch," said Harvey by way of greeting. He took a step towards Louis but was steered to a chair by Jessica's firm grasp of his shoulder.

"Harvey, no," she said dangerously. "We're having this conversation sitting down, for obvious reasons," she muttered the latter under her breath.

"Louis?" she gestured to a spot on the sofa and took a seat next to Harvey. It didn't escape Louis that she had placed him in her usual spot, separated from Harvey by an art deco coffee table.

"Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on around here?" said Louis, on the defensive. He had seen Harvey angry plenty of times, but there was currently a murderous look on his face, and Louis was unnerved. "And while you're at it, you want to tell me why one of _my_ associates is down on fourth doing Google searches for Bill Mackey instead of processing witness testimony?"

He was trying to stay on the offensive, but he knew he had made a mistake the moment Harvey leapt out of his chair and Jessica stepped between them.

"First of all," said Harvey acidly, "he's not your associate. Not now, not ever." He picked up a document from the coffee table and handed it to Louis. _Notice of Reassignment._ "As of this morning, I'm officially the sole supervisor of record. He reports to me." Harvey's tone dropped menacingly and he whispered, "You so much as ask him to pick up a paper clip, and I'll file a workplace harassment suit against you so fast it will make your head spin."

"Jessica," he said incredulously, "you can't be going along with this?" He was shocked to find nothing but disapproval on her face, and it was entirely directed at him.

"I can, and I am," she said evenly.

"The oversight of the new associates is under my purview," he said hotly. "You can't pick and choose which associates are in the club and which aren't. This is a matter for a senior partners meeting, " he said huffily. "I'll call one myself."

"No need," said Harvey smugly. "You've already got a meeting at 2 pm tomorrow."

"Harvey," said Jessica, her tone reprimanding.

"What is he talking about," said Louis, his stomach sinking.

"Harvey has filed a formal complaint alleging supervisory misconduct," said Jessica. It was clear from her tone that she had tried to talk him out of it, but that the matter also concerned her. "You will appear before the assembled Senior Partners tomorrow and make a statement before we deliberate on whether to take disciplinary action."

"Disciplinary action?" said Louis, reeling. "For what?" he said angrily to Harvey. "I made you give up your Golden Boy for a week and now you're retaliating with a smear campaign? That's pretty low, Harvey, even for you."

"You know what's low, Lous?" said Harvey, the reasonable tone of his voice far more sinister than the anger that infused it a moment ago. "Making a kid whose parents were killed in a drunk driving rollover relive the accident for hours at a time, just for spite."

"Harvey what the hell are you talking about?" said Louis, genuinely confused. He hadn't deposed witnesses in any drunk driving case for some time, let alone children. "Are you somehow talking about the Carlisle case? We didn't depose the son, he's still in the hospital."

"My God, you really are an idiot," said Harvey, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

"Harvey," warned Jessica.

Harvey glared at Louis and said with soft venom, "Do you know that it took the paramedics two hours to get Mike out of the SUV? Do you know what happens to a ten-year-old when he watches his parents die in front of him?"

"Mike?" said Louis. "Shit. You're talking about _Mike Ross_?"

"The only thing I asked you to do was to keep him away from one goddamned trial, Louis." said Harvey. "And you couldn't even do that."

"I didn't know," Louis bristled. "You could have told me."

"He shouldn't have to, Louis," said Jessica, startling him, as he had forgotten she was there.

"The kid is going to have to deal with these kinds of cases sooner or later," said Louis, trying in vain to mount a defense once more.

In answer, Harvey pulled a manila folder off of the coffee table and handed it to him.

"What is this?" said Louis, scanning several pages worth of summary judgements.

"Apparently, both OSHA and the Department of Labor has quite a bit to say about exacerbating PTSD in the workplace. You're little attempt at giving Mike a thick skin could cost this firm dearly in punitive damages."

"You're bringing me up before the Board because you think I gave Mike PTSD? Oh please, Harvey. The kid is obviously playing you like a Stradivarius."

"Do you have any idea what you did to him?" said Harvey softly, the sudden concern in his voice melted some of Louis' cynicism.

"Harvey," said Louis, his tone conciliatory now. "I wouldn't have- if you had just told me."

"It's done," said Jessica, "and now we deal with the fallout. Louis, you're to report to the 15th floor conference room at 2 pm tomorrow. Please prepare a summary of events for the Partners inquiry. You will also apologize to Mike Ross-", she paused as she exchanged a look with Harvey, "in Harvey's office. After that, you will leave the kid alone. And I do mean entirely, utterly alone."

"Jessica, you can't be serious about this," said Louis pleadingly. "Okay I screwed up, but this doesnn't need to become a _thing_."

"It already is, Louis," said Jessica, reflexively glancing at Harvey. "It's Harvey's right as a Senior Partner to convene a meeting for disciplinary review, and he has chosen to exercise that right. I'm not going to let this become another tool in the feud between you two, but given the potential repercussions of your actions, I'm supporting him on this."

"Okay then," said Louis, not bothering to hide the defeat in his voice. He said evenly, "If there's nothing else?"

Jessica excused him and he was unaware of the building around him as he reflexively made his way back to his office.

* o * o * o * o *

The unscheduled meeting of the Senior Partners was officially supposed to be kept confidential, but the news leaked, courtesy of the administrative assistants, to the associate bullpen later that evening. The younger Pearson-Hardman employees were afraid of Louis' vindictive streak, and spoke about the situation only in hushed tones, until they had been alerted he had left the building.

The gossip continued by tweet and text into the evening, and by the early morning it was the biggest unspoken topic of the day. Since Louis had found himself suddenly shorthanded, Mike's work had been piled on to the plates of Gregory and Kyle. They were still at their cubicles from the night before, bleary-eyed trying to make their imposed deadlines.

"You realize this is all Ross' fault," said Gregory bitterly, as he scanned another transcript of witness testimony. He wouldn't have dared been so outspoken in the office later in the day, but at 5:15, they might well have been the only people in the building.

"Either he's faking it, or the guy is softer than a loaf of white bread," said Kyle, chuffing in sarcasm.

"Oh he's faking it alright," said Gregory. "He knows that Daddy will come running in to save the day, and he can go back to his cushy workload instead of doing some real work."

"I'd really like to expose him for the fraud he is," said Kyle. "Arrogant bastard."

"Let's." said Gregory.

"What?"

"Let's find out. In a few hours." Gregory was silent a moment. "Do you still have all the audio from the Wilson family?"

"Yeah," said Kyle. "Wish I didn't though. What are you going to do?" he said suspiciously.

"Oh nothing," said Gregory. "Just change the sound notifications on Ross's computer."

"Your'e not going to do what I think you're going to do," said Kyle. "Specter told you he'd fire you the next time you messed with Ross' computer."

"It's 5 am, who the hell is going to find out? Here, email me the files."

* o * o * o * o *

Although Ray said it was entirely unnecessary, Mike apologized to Ray for the third time that week. He genuinely liked the man, and thought it was ridiculous for him to go out of his way to transport Mike the six blocks that he could have easily biked instead.

Mackey had sent him home early yesterday after a short pep talk. He had overheard the exchange with Louis and had been unsettled for the better part of two hours. Someone else had followed up later that evening with a phone call.

"Are you okay?" said Harvey by way of greeting.

"Yeah," said Mike.

"I heard Louis paid Bill a visit," said Harvey.

"Nothing Bill couldn't handle," said Mike affectionately. "He's a good guy."

"Yeah he is," said Harvey. "Listen, Louis has been expressly told to stay away from you. He's up before the Senior Partners at 2 pm tomorrow."

"Harvey, don't take this the wrong way, and don't think I'm not grateful for everything you did for me, but is this a little… extreme?"

"It's posturing, Mike," said Harvey. "That's all it is. I'm likely to get a slap on the wrist for wasting the Senior Partners' time, but it's a real offense, and it's on record." He got very quite for a moment and then added in a soft voice, "This feud between us, somehow it….escalated. I don't know why, but it did. And you're in the middle. I didn't want that…"

Mike wasn't sure he should ask the question, but he said, "Do you somehow think this is your fault?"

By way of answer, Harvey merely said, "I'm glad your okay. I'll see you tomorrow. My office, 7:30." And Mike was left with silence.

* o * o * o * o *

Mike made his way to his desk and couldn't shake that feeling. The one that said that there was something he should pay attention to. It came from the silent glances as he walked to his desk, the complete lack of eye contact between himself and the rest of the associates.

He had just reached his computer when Harvey appeared from out of nowhere. His smile died when he saw the frown on Harvey's face, and the man that was standing next to him.

"Mike, let that go," said Harvey nonchalantly, as Mike reached for the on switch on his computer. "Benjamin here is going to give you a new one." Something was definitely going on, though Mike. Harvey pointedly looked at both Benjamin and Kyle as he gestured to the PC that Benjamin was to replace.

"But my data-" said Mike. "Don't worry," said Benjamin, "we'll have it transferred over for you in no time."

"Why don't you go up to my office. Donna will get you started on the settlement letter for Wheeler."

"Okaaay," said Mike, his head spinning. He shot Harvey a nervous glance that said "Am I in trouble?" and relaxed a bit as Harvey's eyes softened slightly and his eyes shifted to the floors above them.

"Okay," he said again, and slid out of the room.

Kyle and Gregory tried to remain distanced from the events going on around them, until Harvey suddenly appeared in their field of view.

"Gentlemen," he said matter-of-factly. You know Benjamin, from IT. Benjamin here is going to swap out Mike's computer for a new one. And if we somehow find any _abnormalities_ associated with the one that is currently on his desk, there will be an investigation. Do I make myself clear?"

They both nodded in terror.

"You have twenty four hours to submit your letters of resignation. I assure you that should the investigation yield any fruit, your legal careers are effectively over." He was at the doorway when he stopped and added, "And in case you're wondering, _I _ am most definitely not faking it."

* o * o * o * o *

Mike made it through a good portion of the morning without incident, until he happened to be passing by Jessica's office and heard the shouting before he saw it. Whatever happened must have been sudden, he thought, as the door to Jessica's office was still open and her AA was nowhere to be seen.

"He can't DO this, Jessica," said Louis angrily.

"He apparently just did," said Jessica, frowning.

Mike was about to continue to the copy room when Louis' next words stopped him in his tracks. "If you let him fire every guy who doesn't bow down to his pet associate, you're not going to have a law firm left." Huffed Louis. "I can't believe you're supporting him on this one."

"I didn't say I was," said Jessica, her voice noncommittal.

"Well what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'll consider the matter once I have all the facts at hand."

"Oh I know what that means," said Louis, rolling his eyes in disgust.

"Louis, enough with the jealous sibling routine," said Jessica, giving him a piercing glance. "It doesn't become you, and I know you're better than that."

Something passed between them that made Louis wring his hands self-consciously, and Mike ducked into the doorway of the copy room as he backed away saying, "Let me know what you decide."

* o * o * o * o *

Mike waited until Harvey had stepped into the elevator before he turned to Donna and said "What the hell is going on with him?"

"What do you mean?" said Donna, looking ather computer inscrutably.

"Rumor has it he tried to fire two of the associates. I can only assume, in light of current events, that it had something to do with me."

"Center of your own universe, are you?" said Donna, as she continued typing.

"I noticed that you are emphatically not denying it," he retorted. "And if anyone knows what is really going on around here, it's you." He noticed the slight smile before her mask slipped back into place.

"Donna come on, this is Harvey…" He didn't add _I'm worried about him_, but they knew each other well enough that he didn't need to.

"I think this is a conversation better left for Ruby's," she said, referring to a cheap tex mex dive several blocks from the building. "Say, 9:00?"

"You're on.

* o * o * o *

Author's note: Many MANY apologies for the length of time between installments! Real life can be very hard on the muse. I am hoping to finish this up in another chapter or two. Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement!


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